Halo Infinite Season 2 Now Live, Patch Notes Revealed

By Logan Moore

It's been a long time coming, but Season 2 of Halo Infinite is now officially live across all platforms. As expected, this seasonal shift brings a number of new features to all aspects of Infinite, many of which have been highly requested by fans. And while it remains to be seen if Season 2 will resonate with audiences in a greater way, 343 Industries seems to have put a ton of work into this update. 

The biggest new features contained in Season 2 of Halo Infinite likely involve the new maps, modes, and playlists that have been added to the game's multiplayer component. These aspects are ones that 343 has been talking about for some time, so none of this is necessarily a surprise. Still, it's good to see that the amount of content that Infinite contains is growing quite substantially. 

In addition to these new features, Season 2 of Halo Infinite has also brought a vast number of balance changes and bug fixes to the game. These tweaks are to be expected with almost any major patch, but 343 has really fine-tuned a number of different components of the game. 

If you would like to find the majority of today's patch notes for this Halo Infinite update, you can check them out below. Conversely, you can find the full details of this patch on the Halo website right here.

BALANCE CHANGES

Melee

  • Melee damage has been reduced by 10% in both multiplayer and campaign.
    • In multiplayer, this change to melee damage makes the Mangler a 2-shot beatdown rather than a 1-shot beatdown.
    • In Ranked multiplayer only, the Battle Rifle has increased melee damage.
      • This change was made to preserve the Battle Rifle's two-burst beatdown after the global melee reduction.
  • Other changes to melee will also result in the following improvements for multiplayer:
    • "Traded" melee kills will occur more often now than in Season 1.
    • Improved snapping to enemies during melee lunges.
    • Improved enemy collision immediately after meleeing

Mangler

  • In addition to the melee damage change noted above, the following changes were also made to the Mangler in multiplayer:
    • Reduced starting reserve ammo from 24 to 16.
    • Reduced max ammo capacity from 56 to 40.

Ravager

  • The Ravager's base shot is now stronger than before and is therefore capable of a two-burst kill.

EQUIPMENT

Drop Wall

  • The Drop Wall is now stronger than before and deploys faster once it hits the ground.

Overshield

  • The Overshield now grants an additional half bar of shielding.

VEHICLES

Warthog

  • The Warthog's tire positions and suspension have been adjusted to better improve its handling on uneven terrain.

Chopper

  • When boosting, the Chopper will now one hit kill all vehicles except for the Scorpion and Wraith.

Banshee

  • The Banshee's mobility and weapons have received multiple buffs:
    • The Banshee can now move slower and faster than before, including when turning.
    • Weapons cooldown faster and deal more damage.

SYSTEMS

Slide

  • Velocity gained from landing into a slide on a ramp has proportional reduction based on fall height.

JUMPS

  • Multiple collision fixes on all previously released multiplayer maps. Some examples of these improvements include:
    • Smoothing out traversal on the ground.
    • Fixing player's standing on out of bounds rock ledges.
    • Removing or adjusting collision on small props and thin ledges.

GLOBAL

Sandbox

  • Grappling a Fusion Coil through a Drop Wall will no longer drag the Dropwall in towards the player.
  • Bullet decals now appear correctly when firing at surfaces from an odd angle.
  • Various power weapons and turrets now fit better in the Razorback's rear storage area.
  • Debris knocked off from a damaged or destroyed vehicles will no longer revert to its pre-damage appearance.
  • Power weapons (like the Skewer or Rocket Launcher) will no longer deal extra damage when fired at a vehicle's windshield.
  • Meleeing an enemy and then immediately using the Repulsor against them will now knockback the enemy the expected amount rather than a shorter knockback.
  • Boarding the back of an enemy Wraith or Scorpion then planting a grenade will now kill the driver.
  • Man Cannons will now alter the trajectory of rockets fired from a Rockethog's turret.
  • After being picked up, the M41 SPNKR is now ready to fire faster. Swapping to the M41 SPNKR, zooming in, and firing is slightly faster as well.
  • The Dynamo grenade's "ticking" sound effect no longer plays continuously if a Dynamo grenade is dealing damage to enemies during a respawn.
  • The Grappleshot's cable now consistently appears to fire from the player's wrist.
  • The Grappleshot will now consistently attach to equipment and grenades.
  • Firing a weapon immediately after swapping between equipped weapons will now feel more responsive.
  • The Heads-Up Display (HUD) element for hold actions has been improved to better show an active hold's progress.
  • Improved the transition between the third-person animations for clambering and sprinting. 

PC

  • Improved stability across the entire Halo Infinite experience. Players should expect to see less crashes and hangs, especially on PC. 
    • If you're experiencing crashes after updating, please submit a ticket to Halo Support. Key details to include in crash tickets are:
      • Step-by-step instructions on what causes the crash. The more specific, the better!
      • Confirmation that the console/PC's operating system (OS) is up-to-date.
      • If possible, video or screenshots of the moments leading up to the crash.
      • For PC crashes:
        • Confirmation that the  PC's graphics drivers are up-to-date. 
        • Attach an up-to-date DxDiag file. To create a DxDiag file, type "dxdiag" into the Start menu's search bar, press the Enter key, then click "Save All Information" when the DirectX Diagnostic Tool pops up.
        • Include the Problem Report from the Control Panel app. To find this, open the Control Panel and enter "problem reports" in the search bar. Click "View all problem reports" then locate the recent Halo Infinite report. Double click on this Halo Infinite entry then use the "Copy to clipboard" button near the bottom of the window. Finally, paste this text into your ticket's comments.
  • Improved Video RAM (VRAM) management and various bug fixes for graphics processing unit (GPU) hangs to improve stability and performance on PC.
  • PCs with AMD Integrated Graphics hardware may experience less graphical corruptions.
    • AMD Integrated Graphics are below Halo Infinite's minimum system specifications. Gameplay on this hardware may be functional but is likely not performant.
  • Players with some NVIDIA graphics cards will no longer see stretched or distorted models in gameplay.

Settings

  • The Field-of-View (FOV) option no longer changes by one point when backing out of the Settings menu.
  • The Minimum and Maximum Frame Rate options have been improved to allow for continuous adjustments to Custom values.
  • Outer and Inner Trigger Deadzones options have been added in the Controller tab of the Settings menu.
    • These options should be adjusted when using a controller with trigger stops. If the trigger stops are active, the default Trigger Deadzones will not allow for actions that require a full trigger press to occur. Affected actions include charging weapons like the Plasma Pistol and Ravager.

Xbox consoles

  • On Xbox consoles, narrative sequences will now pause when Halo Infinite is suspended or the Xbox Guide is open.

MULTIPLAYER

Gameplay

  • The crouching and clambering sound effects for players using Active Camo will no longer be audible to other players.
  • The third-person Shield Recharge sound effect is now quieter than before, so it will give away player locations less often. 
  • Weapon racks on either side of symmetrical Big Team Battle (BTB) maps will now spawn the same weapon. 
    • If you spot any asymmetrical Weapon Rack spawns, please submit a ticket or update your existing ticket(s).
  • Enemies will not be able to see players who are joining an in-progress multiplayer match before the loading player gains control of their Spartan.
    • If you encounter this issue after installing this update, please submit a ticket or update your existing ticket(s).
  • Marking the Defend Flag icon in Capture the Flag (CTF) now plays the correct sound effect.
  • Improved player collision when meleeing enemies.
  • Multiple improvements related to vehicles and server-client synchronization.

Visual

  • Arm-mounted equipment, like the Grappleshot and Repulsor, no longer appear to float above prosthetic arms.
  • The left shoulder pad in the Jorge-052 armor kit now has the correct texture.
  • The Neon Screen and Neon Hawk armor effects are now correctly aligned over the player model's helmet. 
  • Nameplates will no longer be cutoff during a multiplayer match's intro sequence.
  • All player models in a multiplayer match's intro sequence will now face toward the camera and animate as expected.
  • On ultrawide monitors, player models are no longer cutoff during a multiplayer match's intro sequence.
  • Players will no longer experience a black screen while loading into online multiplayer matches.
  • First person player models now load in faster when respawning in a multiplayer match.
  • Players will no longer spawn underneath the map when loading into a multiplayer match.
  • When a control point in Total Control is being captured, the correct team's color will now always be shown on the Heads-Up Display's (HUD) capture indicator.
  • Site capture banners in Total Control now have a smoother animation.
  • Vehicles will now consistently spawn at their intended size.
  • A vent box in Aquarius that sometimes flickered in and out of view is now consistently visible.
  • Player models should no longer appear stuck in walls, floors, or ceilings.
    • If you encounter this issue after installing this update, please submit a ticket or update your existing ticket(s).
  • Crosshairs for all weapons now appear the same in solo and splitscreen sessions.
  • Shadows no longer appear to flicker for some players in splitscreen multiplayer.
  • In 4-player splitscreen, the "Return to the Battlefield" warning overlay now appears on the correct player's screen.

Menus

  • The Post-Game Carnage Report (PGCR) is now blurred when new menus are opened on top of it.
  • After completing a Ranked Arena match, the post-match CSR meter now shows the progress made from the completed match rather than the progress made since the last time the game was launched.
  • If Halo Infinite is not already running, accepting a game invite on Discord will now consistently launch Halo Infinite.
  • When playing splitscreen on an Xbox console, players other than player 1 can now use the Back button to navigate out of the Multiplayer menu.
  • Changes to the selected multiplayer Voice in the Spartan ID menu are now consistently reflected in-game.
  • The Network Status widget will now always display network connection errors, even when the full widget is disabled. These errors will appear for all players in the top right corner of the screen.
    • The full widget can be enabled in the UI section of the Settings menu.
  • Automated bans will now provide the ban's end date and time, as well as a brief description of the behavior that led to the ban.

Custom Games

  • LAN servers are now more stable when entering consecutive matches in a single session.
  • In Custom Games, players will now consistently join the team they are assigned to in the lobby menu.
  • Players who switch to the Observer team while setting up a Free-For-All (FFA) Custom Game will now appear as an Observer in the lobby menu rather than a player.
  • The Mode Editor menu in the Custom Games lobby now shows all available options when Halo Infinite is launched offline.

Challenges and Medals

  • The Skyjack and Grapple-Jack medals are now awarded more consistently when hijacking enemy vehicles with the Grappleshot.
  • Hijacking a Banshee with the Grappleshot will now count towards the Grapple-Jack Challenge and other Challenges as expected.
  • The Mind the Gap medal now consistently unlocks when its requirements are met, and it is now awarded when repulsing an occupied enemy vehicle off the edge of the map.

CAMPAIGN

  • Small black patches or "holes" will no longer appear on the TacMap.
  • All MJOLNIR armor lockers are now visible on the TacMap.
  • The TacMap now reflects the selected Brightness value.
    • Brightness can be adjusted by using the Screen Calibration menu found in the Video tab of the Settings menu.
  • When picking up a Skull for the first time, the tutorial pop-up will no longer say that Achievements and saves are disabled while Skulls are active.
    • Since Halo Infinite's launch, both Achievements and Saves have been enabled when Skulls are active.
  • When the User Interface (UI) Narration feature is enabled, each mission's collectibles count will be narrated when the mission's banner appears on-screen.
    • UI Narration can be enabled or adjusted in the Accessibility tab of the Settings menu.
  • Players can now unlock equipment upgrades while Linear Navigation is enabled.
    • Linear Navigation can be enabled or disabled in the Accessibility tab of the Settings menu.
  • The Grappleshot indicator will no longer appear when the Blind Skull is active.
  • The Boom Skull, found in the mission Warship Gbraakon, will now appear when scanning the environment.
  • The sound effects for the Grunt Birthday Party Skull can now be heard over greater distances.
  • On the mission Excavation Site, restarting the game and dying in the Banished's laser will no longer cause the player to respawn with invincibility.
  • The "tank gun" found in the Outpost Tremonious mission is no longer available.
    • This change has not removed the tank gun from any existing saves where it has already been picked up.
  • Standing on top of a Fusion Coil then grappling it now results in the player picking up the Fusion Coil.
  • Improvements to player collision when using the Grappleshot's First Strike ability. 
  • A "Saving Progress" message will no longer become stuck on-screen during the campaign's final cutscene.

Mission Progression

  • Multiple progression issues with the Banished outpost Ransom Keep have been addressed.
    • If you are unable to progress in Ransom Keep or your completion has reset, please submit a ticket or update your existing ticket(s).
  • The bridge in the mission The Road now consistently extends after skipping related dialogue.
  • Players will no longer be locked out of the boss fight in the mission The Tower after Fast Traveling away from the mission's area.
  • The mission Warship Gbraakon will now progress normally after quitting during the intro video or restarting the mission during the escape sequence.
  • The Thruster ability is now consistently usable after acquiring it in The Conservatory then restarting the mission.

ACADEMY

  • Expanded Training Mode Options to allow for more fine tuning of bot behaviors.
  • All match options in Training Mode now have a description.
  • The following Weapon Drills have been adjusted so that the third star is easier to attain:
    • Needler: Tier 2
    • Bulldog: Tier 3
  • In Weapon Drills, repetitive "Damage Dealt" messages no longer appear on-screen when attacking bots. Although these messages no longer appear, the score for damage inflicted on bots is still being counted.
  • Pausing the game during the intro sequence of a Training Mode session no longer mutes most sound effects.
  • A static, inaccurate scoreboard no longer appears when loading a Weapon Drill with the Heads-Up Display (HUD) disabled.
    • The HUD can be enabled or disabled in the User Interface (UI) tab of the Settings menu.
  • Epic Armor Effects now appear correctly in Academy's Tutorial.

ACCESSIBILITY

All options mentioned in this section can be found in the Accessibility tab of the Settings menu.

  • When Linear Navigation is enabled, the main menu's tabs will no longer persist on-screen when in a sub-menu.
  • The UI Narration feature will no longer read incoming text chat messages twice.
  • The following menus will now be narrated when the User Interface (UI) Narration feature is enabled:
    • The in-game menu for purchasing Halo Infinite's campaign.
    • Rank placements in the Profile menu.
    • The Season Pass menu.
  • The descriptions for the Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech settings have been updated to be more clear.

THEATER

  • Viewing multiple Theater films in a single session will no longer result in Load Errors.
    • If the Load Error message is appearing after this update, confirm that your Xbox account's Privacy Settings allow you to view content from other players. If so, please submit a ticket to Halo Support or update your existing ticket.
  • Changes to the Controls and Event Timeline toggles in the User Interface (UI) tab of the Settings menu are now reflected in Theater mode.
  • Changes to the Cycle Camera binding in the Settings menu are now reflected in both Theater and Observer mode.

ACHIEVEMENTS

  • The "Medic!" Achievement can now be unlocked in the Attrition or Elimination game modes.
    • This Achievement will unlock whether the requirements are met in Custom Games and multiplayer matchmaking.
  • Further improvements have been made to Achievements that failed to unlock as expected. Players who did not receive an Achievement after completing its requirements should see it unlock after updating and launching Halo Infinite.
    • For some Campaign Achievements, players may need to load into Campaign and play for a couple minutes to ensure missing Achievements are unlocked.
    • If you are still missing Achievements after this update, please submit a ticket or update your existing ticket(s).
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